DE
Fraunhofer ISE has examined the value chain of synthetic fuels in the project "E-Fuels fürs Länd." According to the study, the Indigo process developed at the institute for the production of dimethyl ether (DME) can reduce production costs compared to the methanol pathway.
The EU project ECO2Fuel has reported progress in low-temperature CO2 electrolysis. In tests, a membrane electrode assembly converted 69 to 70 percent of electrons into carbon products and operated stably for more than 800 hours.
Researchers at Empa are working on more cost-effective materials for PEM electrolysers. They aim to replace expensive platinum with a special form of titanium oxide and titanium with coated steel. An initial component has passed corrosion tests.
Manufacturer Sunfire unveiled its new alkaline electrolysis system HyLink Alkaline 23 at the World Hydrogen Summit 2026 in Rotterdam. According to the company, the 50 MW system is designed for large-scale projects and the next phase of industrial market ramp-up.
Quest One has expanded its Modular Hydrogen Platform with an outdoor variant and additional system components. The PEM electrolysis platform is aimed at large industrial users and is intended, according to the manufacturer, to reduce planning effort and costs.
The Dutch company H2Flexx emerged from the merger of H2Fuel and HydroFlex. It offers H2Easy, a hydrogen carrier in powder form. The material is intended to enable storage and transport without high pressure or cryogenic technology.
A Fraunhofer consortium is developing a Raman LiDAR system for detecting hydrogen leaks from a distance. The technology aims to identify gases even in daylight and make the monitoring of H2 infrastructures safer and more flexible.
Dilico Engineering is presenting the Cell Voltage Pickup (CVP) at Hannover Messe 2026. The modular system combines cell contacting and data acquisition for fuel cell stacks, electrolyzers, and battery systems, and will be demonstrated in live operation.
SolydEra is presenting its latest PMX platform for solid oxide fuel cells at Hannover Messe. The integrated system combines stack, hot gas peripherals, and controls. It features a modular design and is designed for power outputs ranging from several tens to several hundreds of kilowatts.
Fraunhofer ISE is showcasing its new production research for membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) for fuel cells and electrolyzers at Hannover Messe. The focus is on a new pilot facility as well as analyses of power-to-X and hydrogen supply chains.
Mechanical compressors are maintenance-heavy and noisy – a real problem in residential areas. The ELCHPEM 2.0 project is developing an electrochemical alternative based on hydraulic cell compression that aims to eliminate both drawbacks while reaching pressures of up to 300 bar.
Siemens has created a digital twin for a Turn2X electrolysis plant in Spain, after the plant was already in operation. This improves the ability to control the plant remotely. A second plant being built next door is set to be digital from the start, offering additional benefits.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is a well-established method for rigorously testing electrolysis stacks in the lab. But when it comes to fully scaled industrial stacks, delivering several thousand amps while maintaining precise AC signal modulation is a major challenge.
Why bring electricity ashore when you can use it at sea? A floating offshore hydrogen generator converts wind energy into green hydrogen on the spot. Tankers then handle transport and storage – following a standard in the oil industry.
Japan, a leading hydrogen nation, frequently uses fuel cells in heating systems and vehicles. Germany, by contrast, focuses primarily on large industrial processes involving hydrogen, such as in the steel, chemical, or basic materials industry. Ceramics specialist Kyocera is convinced that its materials, proven in Japan, offer advantages in Germany as well, despite the differences.
Solid oxide cells could make electrolysers and fuel cells more efficient, more robust and easier to integrate thermally. But for the technology to truly play a role in climate protection, production would need to increase by factor 1,000 until 2035. A key bottleneck: the joining process. Multi-stack joining systems from Horiba are designed to help overcome it.
At Hannover Messe, the Fraunhofer LBF is presenting methods for evaluating materials, components, and complete hydrogen systems under mechanical, thermal, electrical, and electrochemical loads over their entire life cycle.
The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in the United Kingdom has commissioned a test facility that enables materials testing in a pure hydrogen atmosphere at temperatures of up to 1,650 °C. The facility is intended to help close knowledge gaps about the behaviour of materials under hydrogen conditions.
Fraunhofer ISE has increased methanol production from steel mill off-gases by 39 percent using a digital twin in the Carbon2Chem project. The simulation platform is intended to also be used in the future for the production of aviation fuels.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (IWM) in Freiburg has developed a method that enables the economic determination of the thermomechanical fatigue of materials under the influence of hydrogen in the laboratory. The procedure uses so-called hollow specimens—test bodies with internal flow—and is intended to facilitate component design for gas turbines and large engines.
The steel corporation Voestalpine has installed two high-pressure compressors from the Spanish manufacturer Hiperbaric at its hydrogen pilot plant H2Future in Linz, Austria. The devices compress green hydrogen up to 500 bar – among other uses for the hydrogen-based steel production process Hyfor.
Celeroton TurboCell is presenting two turbo compressors for fuel cells at Hannover Messe: the CTi-110x, based on the second CTi-1x generation with integrated inverter, as well as the new CTE-400x with CC-4000 for 100 to 200 kilowatts.
Asahi Kasei, together with Nippon Steel and Nippon Steel Trading, has launched an initiative to recycle titanium from production waste generated by chlor-alkali electrolysis cells. The high-purity metal is to be returned to the material cycle.
Dana has introduced a metallic bipolar plate for electrolysers. The component, developed at the Neu-Ulm site, is made of titanium or steel, is only 0.1 millimetres thin, and aims to reduce system costs through higher power density.
A European consortium led by the Spanish research center Cener aims to further develop solid oxide electrolysis. In the Desiree project, a 40 kW prototype is to be created by 2029, achieving an efficiency of over 85 percent and providing hydrogen without additional electrical compression.
